Coin controlled locking means for vending machines



June 28, 1932. MORRISON 1,864,847

COIN CONTROLLED LOCKING MEANS FOR VENDING-MACHINES OriginaIFiled Aug.14. 1930 i gwomkw Qeorge morrison.

Patented June 28, 1932 enoncn Monnrson, or roUGiIKEnPsIn, New roar:v

COIN CONTROLLED LOCKING MEANS FOR VENDING MACHINES Original applicationfiled August 14, 1930, Serial No. 475,169. Divided and this applicationfiled June l0,

1931. Serial This invention relates to a vending machine and moreparticularly to a coin controlled locking device which by the insertionof the proper coin will release the vending mechanism and allow anarticle to be ejected for each coin which is inserted.

The object of the invention is to provide novel means whereby thevending mechanism is only released by the insertion of the proper coin,and all slugs etc, of a similar diameter will be by-passed withoutoperating the lock.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide means whereby severalcoins of the same denomination which are equal in their combined valueto a single coin of a larger denomination may with a slight change inthe construction be used in place of the larger coin; such as fivenickels may be used in the place of one twenty-five cent piece.

The subject matter of this invention has been divided from myapplication for a patent on a vending machine, which was filed on August1 1, 1930; Serial No. l75,169.

With these and other objects in View, my invention comprises certainnovel construction and combination of parts as will hereinafter be fullydescribed and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing whichform a part hereof and in which like figures of reference refer tocorresponding parts in all of the views.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a partial side elevation of the lockingmechanism shown with the outer casing removed to expose the workingparts.

Figure 2 is a partial top plan view of the locking mechanism. shownpartly in section.

Figure 3 is a similar view, but showing the 49 parts in anotherposition. 1

Referring to the drawing It is understood that this coin controlledlocking mechanism may be employed with any suitable vending means, andis designed to control the operation of the vending mechanism.

As the-device is here shown, there is provided a mounting plate 10,within which is mounted the shaft 11 or the vending mecha- 59 nism; thisshaft 11 being provided with any suitable escapement means, such as thewheel 12 and U-bar 13 pivoted as at 14 to the plate 10, and designed tobe rocked by the reciprocation of the push rod 15 which is mounted inthe bearings 16' attached to the plate 10 by the 85 screws 17; the tailof the U-bar 13 being engaged by a pin 18 secured in the bar or rod'15,and the tail being normally held in contact therewith by a spring 19having one end se- W cured-to thebearing 16 and the other end to the bar13 as at 20.

' That portion of'the push rod 15 which is mounted in the bearings 16 issquare in cross section to prevent its turning, while its: for- I wardend 21 is round and is slidably mounted 115 within av finger piece 22which may be slidably mounted in the casing 23; said finger piece beingtubular and provided with a spring 24 between the end of the rod 15 andM the head 25; and for limiting the movement of the finger piece 22 uponthe rod 15, said rod'is provided with a stop collar 26 secured thereonor forming'a part thereof.

The rear part of the finger piece 22 is W formed with a cutout portion27, which when said finger piece 22 is in an extended position, willregister with the lower opening of a coin chute 28 which is formedbetween the plate 10 and a cover plate 29 secured thereto by the screws30 and formed with a coin 0 race 31.

Located below the lower opening of the coin chute and also below thefinger piece 22 is placed a coin stop 32, and between the low- N er partof the coin chute 28 and the finger piece 22 is pivoted to the plate 10as at 33,

adetent 3a which is formed with a hooked end 35 which is normallyadapted to engage a notch 36 which is formed in the upper face of thepush rod 15; said detent 0r latch 34 is provided on its rear face with apin or roller 37 and is held in a normally locked position by the spring38 secured thereto and to a pin 39 in the plate 10. A I

In the operation of the device, a coin 40, being inserted into the upperend of the coin chute 28 will drop down past the detent and enter thecutout portion 27 of the finger piece 22 and rest upon the coin stop 32and in contact with-the roller 37 Now as the head 25 and finger piece 22are pushed inward, the coin will be carried by the cutout 27 against theroller 37 and will lift the detent 34: and clear the hook 35 from thenotch 36, allowing the push rod 15 to be moved inward by the end of thefinger piece 22 contacting with the collar 26 as it is further movedinward; the pin 18 will move the tail of the U-bar 13 to release theescape wheel 12 and allow an article to be ejected from the vendingmachine.

A spring 41 is provided to retain the push bar 15 in a normally extendedposition.

After the coin is carried inwardly by 15 the further movement of thefinger piece 22 after the same has contacted with the collar 26, thecoin 40 will be carried past the coin stop 32 and will drop free fromthe cutout 27 into some suitable container.

3 Should it be desirable to operate the lock with a number of smallcoins, this is accomplished by placing the coin stop lower to allowseveral of the coins to pass through the out out portion on the fingerpiece and stack 3 upon the stop, the top coin being used as the wedge tooperate the detent.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

3 A coin controlled lock for vending machines and in combination with acoin chute, of a push rod formed with a square portion and a roundportion separated by a stop collar and having the squared portionslidably 31 mounted in bearings, a finger piece formed with a bore and ahead, and slidably mounted on the round portion of the push rod, aspring contained within the bore of the finger piece and in contact withthe end of the round portion of the push rod to cushion its inwardmovement within said bore, the end of said finger piece adapted to abutthe stop collar on the push rod upon compression of said spring, saidfinger piece being provided ;4 with a cut out portion to receive a coin,means to support a coin in the cut out portion, a detent for locking thepush rod, the initial inward movement of the finger piece adapted tocoact with a coin to release said detent from the push rod so that thefurther inward movement of the finger piece against the stop collar willimpart movement to said push rod to operate the escapement mechanism.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. 5 GEORGE MORRISON.

